James "Mike" Conine
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James "Mike" Conine, 71, of Granbury passed away on Monday, November 16, 2020. A graveside service will be held at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery at a later date.
Mike was born in Greenville, Texas on November 25, 1948 to Jake C. and Lynn Brown Conine. He moved to Odessa, Texas in 1950 and graduated from Permian High School in 1966. He married Maxine Reed in 1968 in Odessa. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1970 and served for two years. He was a door gunner.
After the Army, he continued his love of horse showing and training. He gave lessons to kids. He loved watching kids learn to ride and care for horses.
In 1975, he moved to Houston and began working for Stewart and Stevenson Service. He worked his way up and in 1979 he moved to Denver as a salesman for Stewart and Stevenson Power Division. He later became President of that division until his retirement in 2000.
In 2001, they moved to Lake Cherokee in East Texas where he enjoyed his love of fishing and sporting clays. They eventually moved to Granbury.
Mike loved people. He could talk to anyone. He lived his life to the fullest. He was an athlete, horseman, hunter, fisherman, and scuba diver. He loved the outdoors. He believed you should try to be the best at whatever you did. He lived that belief. He had a heart as big as Texas!
He was preceded in death by his parents: Jake and Lynn Conine, and his niece Jana Suter.
Mike is survived by his wife Maxine Conine of almost 53 years, sister-in-law: Martini Pittman and husband Kent of Rising Star, Texas, nephews: Max Flippin and wife Andrea of Waxahachie, Texas, and Michael Flippin of Granbury, great-nephews: Jake Flippin and Kyle Flippin of Waxahachie. He will be missed by numerous friends and his cat Mimi.
Memorials may be sent to a foundation he truly loved - Gary Sinise Foundation.org or P.O. Box 368, Woodland Hills, California 91365.